F. GEOGRAPHY. 301 



the British commissioner, is quite comprehensive, and refers 

 to the physical geography and general geology of the whole 

 country, and the special geological structure of particular 

 portions of it. The economical geology, which is represent- 

 ed mainly by the iron deposits and the coal, receives special 

 attention. A considerable portion of the volume is devoted 

 to the study of the glacial period and superficial deposits, as 

 also to the capabilities of the region with reference to settle- 

 ment. In the appendix is a list of fossil vertebrates and 

 plants, the butterflies and orthoptera, the land and fresh-wa- 

 ter mollusks, and the recent plants. 



We hope soon to be able to chronicle the appearance of 

 the American report, which it is understood will be fully 

 equal in extent and thoroughness of execution to those of 

 similar character recently published by the War and In- 

 terior departments. 



THE SOURCE OF THE HUDSON. 



Among the waters located on the new maps of Mr. Ver- 

 planck Colvin's Topographical Survey of the Adirondacks 

 appears the little lake "Tear of the Clouds." In such a lake 

 region as this, where every stream which does not flow di- 

 rectly from a pond, if further traced toward its origin, finally 

 dwindles to a mere run without definite commencement, the 

 last or uppermost pond upon it is generally accepted as the 

 head and fountain of the river or stream. Were we to seek 

 for any higher source than this, we must ascend from the 

 rills, through the rain-drops, up to the clouds. If we take 

 the highest permanent body of w r ater of the river's source, 

 we shall find the head of the Hudson in this little lakelet, 

 "The Tear of the Clouds," or "Summit Water," high up on 

 the side of Mount Marcy. The entire Adirondack region 

 contributes more or less directly to the flow of the Hudson, 

 and the opinion maintained by Mr. Colvin is quite plausible, 

 viz., that a century hence, when the entire course of this 

 river shall be occupied with villages and cities, it will be 

 necessary to construct an aqueduct from the Adirondacks to 

 New York, in order to supply that city and the interior 

 towns with a continuous and generous supply of water 

 whose purity can be relied on. It therefore seems impor- 

 tant that even at the present time measures be taken to 



